How many days for LFS observation?

[Alpha_and_Gec]

I’ve got my eyes on a bunch of fish at my lfs, how long should I wait until I can confirm that they are settled in and ready to be purchased? I’ve been holding out on the baby foxfaces for two weeks approx, and the longnose hawk for much longer than that(A month or two, I forgor). Should I wait another month or are they going to be ready sooner?

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

Personally I wait a week at least before purchasing a new arrival, and a good LFS would not sell a new arrival at least for a week.

I would not wait a month, those tanks are jammed full of fish, they are all connected together and pumped full of copper at low salinity, its not the best environment. No telling what can happen in a month. As long as they are active in the LFS tank, good color, and eating, its a good prospect.

 

[Someguyfromsc]

I’ll get a fish after a week if they look happy and healthy. Feel like much longer and they might start to go the other direction in those store tanks .

 

[Dom]

I’ve got my eyes on a bunch of fish at my lfs, how long should I wait until I can confirm that they are settled in and ready to be purchased? I’ve been holding out on the baby foxfaces for two weeks approx, and the longnose hawk for much longer than that(A month or two, I forgor). Should I wait another month or are they going to be ready sooner?

It isn't the amount of time in my view. It is about their behavior.

1. Are they eating?
2. Are they swimming around?
3. How does the breathing look?

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

I’ve got my eyes on a bunch of fish at my lfs, how long should I wait until I can confirm that they are settled in and ready to be purchased? I’ve been holding out on the baby foxfaces for two weeks approx, and the longnose hawk for much longer than that(A month or two, I forgor). Should I wait another month or are they going to be ready sooner?

It's complicated (grin). The first thing you really want to avoid is the "double bounce" where a fish is shipped to your store and then you take it home before it has a chance to recover from the stress of the shipment. That is a minimum of 72 hours.

I've done three studies of post-import fish since 1985, and there is pretty clearly a high mortality in newly collected fish from SE Asia that lasts about 40 days. This mortality rate can reach 50% during that period. So - for those fish, 40 days or longer is best.

So - the range is between 3 and 40 days (grin). I like to wait 2 weeks. Yes, you will lose out on some fish to less patient people, buy a good percentage of those fish die for them.

However, if you are not quarantining your fish, then that adds another variable....

Jay

 

[Alpha_and_Gec]

seems like consensus is a week, might as well pick up pods, a butterfly, a foxface and a hawk at the same time next weekend then.

 

[CasperOe]

... and remember, if you wait too long, someone else might grab your fish unless you have an agreement in place with the LFS

I don't really adopt the 1/2/3.... week(s) waiting; I tend to agree with @Dom on below but there's no right or wrong here:

1. Are they eating?
2. Are they swimming around?
3. How does the breathing look?

I normally stick the fish in an observation tank at home in stead; if the fish is 'not good' I won't move in to the display ever. I have a good relationship with my LFS and I trust their process enough to do it this way.

 

[exnisstech]

If I want a particular fish I like to have my lfs order and I pick the fish up while still bagged. Sure it's a risk on my part but they discount the price because I'm assuming the risk that they would normally take on the fish surviving. I think it gives the fish a better chance. I like to think I can observe and address issues that arise better than the lfs store as they just don't have the time or facilities.
If this isn't possible I like to wait at least 1 preferably 2 weeks and the fish must be eating.

 

[Alpha_and_Gec]

... and remember, if you wait too long, someone else might grab your fish unless you have an agreement in place with the LFS

I don't really adopt the 1/2/3.... week(s) waiting; I tend to agree with @Dom on below but there's no right or wrong here:

1. Are they eating?
2. Are they swimming around?
3. How does the breathing look?

I normally stick the fish in an observation tank at home in stead; if the fish is 'not good' I won't move in to the display ever. I have a good relationship with my LFS and I trust their process enough to do it this way.

My original idea was to wait for fish that wasn't eating to starve to death during this period of time and I can pick out the fish that is eating, and assess health from that point onward, since if the fish is healthy I can tell right away. Ich can be highly cryptic, which is why I sometimes wait for months.

 

[CasperOe]

-- DELETED --

 

[CasperOe]

My original idea was to wait for fish that wasn't eating to starve to death during this period of time and I can pick out the fish that is eating, and assess health from that point onward, since if the fish is healthy I can tell right away. Ich can be highly cryptic, which is why I sometimes wait for months.

Ich is a completely different discussion in my opinion.

Ich treatment start when you bring home the fish and stick it in your quarantine setup. It's often very, very hard to see in the LFS and you may not have visibility on their procedures on how to manage this (.. if they have any at all!)

 

[Alpha_and_Gec]

Ich is a completely different discussion in my opinion.

Ich treatment start when you bring home the fish and stick it in your quarantine setup. It's often very, very hard to see in the LFS and you may not have visibility on their procedures on how to manage this (.. if they have any at all!)

I don't have a long term quarantine system set up(nor will it be possible at all), so I'm using the lfs for that purpose. Observational only of course... what they do to treat them isn't up to me, but I just don't buy the sick ones. If I have to treat a fish at home, I do it in a bucket.

 

[CasperOe]

I don't have a long term quarantine system set up(nor will it be possible at all), so I'm using the lfs for that purpose. Observational only of course... what they do to treat them isn't up to me, but I just don't buy the sick ones. If I have to treat a fish at home, I do it in a bucket.

You can be fairly sure that if they don't advertise what they do, they do nothing with regards to treatment.

There's a high, high likelihood that you will introduce something in to your tank that you don't want no matter how long you're observing a fish in your LFS.

They probably get new stock in several times every week- keeping it all in the same system as the one precious fish that you're looking at.

It's just a fact of like- and a part of this hobby. If they are not quarantined properly, you will get something in your tank at some point. Then, it comes down to management in stead of eradication.

 

[Alpha_and_Gec]

You can be fairly sure that if they don't advertise what they do, they do nothing with regards to treatment.

There's a high, high likelihood that you will introduce something in to your tank that you don't want no matter how long you're observing a fish in your LFS.

They probably get new stock in several times every week- keeping it all in the same system as the one precious fish that you're looking at.

It's just a fact of like- and a part of this hobby. If they are not quarantined properly, you will get something in your tank at some point. Then, it comes down to management in stead of eradication.

They do actually show fish being treated if they are... I've seen tanks labelled with copper treatments and general cure, telling customers they are temporarily unavailable. I just never bothered to look at what the fish had. I'm not going to prevent parasite entry into my tank, and it's never been a problem so far.

I do stay away from the tanks that actually house sick fish, i.e. almost always the dang clown tangs, on basis of common sense.

 

[CasperOe]

They do actually show fish being treated if they are... I've seen tanks labelled with copper treatments and general cure, telling customers they are temporarily unavailable. I just never bothered to look at what the fish had. I'm not going to prevent parasite entry into my tank, and it's never been a problem so far.

I do stay away from the tanks that actually house sick fish, i.e. almost always the dang clown tangs, on basis of common sense.

Glad to hear you have an LFS that cares; a lot of them don't do; for them, it's easy money!

Best of luck mate! I hope you will bring home price specimens of the fish want!

Happy reefing